COLLEGE STATION — Distinguishing the Aggies' cornerbacks from their safeties — when they're not actually lined up defensively — is like trying to tell the difference between identical twins. It requires pinpointing the nuances.

“We feed off each other, because we know what the other person is going to do because we've played that position,” Texas A&M safety Steven Terrell said of the changeable parts in the secondary. “That's an advantage.”

Terrell holds an optimistic outlook to A&M possessing safeties the size of cornerbacks, with the approach it's simply the evolution of football and a way to combat more pass-happy offenses. Like the one the No. 22 Aggies (4-1) will face Saturday night against No. 23 Louisiana Tech (5-0) in Shreveport.

First-year coach Kevin Sumlin, however, wouldn't have minded inheriting a few more safeties that, well, look like strapping safeties.

“There are a bunch of teams where you can still see the difference,” Sumlin said, smiling. “Our staff has done a good job with the pieces we have. We have some quality (defensive backs), we just don't have a lot of them.”

The Aggies' starting safeties last week in a 30-27 victory at Ole Miss, Terrell and Deshazor Everett, weigh 193 and 181 pounds, respectively. Meanwhile, the starting safeties of top-ranked Alabama, for instance, tip the scales at 210 and 209 pounds. Everett, Toney Hurd and Floyd Raven are capable of shifting around in the secondary.

“Another reason we have interchangeable parts? We don't have any choice,” Sumlin said.

Secondary depth has become a big concern for the Aggies against the Bulldogs. Former starting safety Steven Campbell hasn't played the last two games because of a possible concussion. Everett suffered an apparent arm injury against the Rebels — Sumlin declined to address the matter Tuesday — and his status for Saturday is unknown.

Backup safety Howard Matthews is suspended for the Louisiana Tech game (along with starting linebacker Steven Jenkins) for violations of team rules. Sumlin suspended the duo in the offseason for the original season opener against Louisiana Tech — which was postponed from Aug. 30 because of Hurricane Isaac — and kept the suspensions for the Bulldogs game.

The depletions come against an undefeated squad owning its highest ranking in history and averaging 53 points per game (third nationally) nearly midway through the season.

“Other guys will have to step up for us,” defensive coordinator Mark Snyder said.

One of those counted on will be Raven, who's so versatile he can play anywhere from cornerback to outside linebacker. And about those compatible parts in the secondary? It's not all bad, Sumlin said.

“The more guys you have that don't just cover or don't just play in the box, the better off your defense will be,” he said.

But building to that, along with adding a couple of safeties that resemble Alabama's safeties, will simply take time and recruiting, Snyder said.

“You'd like to keep one guy at a position and let him get good at it,” he said. “We're just not there right now. We're taking kids and teaching them dual roles, because we're not as deep as we need to be.”